Microsoft Gets $750,000|in Malware Suit

LAS VEGAS (CN) – Microsoft on Tuesday won a $750,000 judgment against two people accused of targeting its customers with malware capable of recording keystrokes, audio and video. U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro granted summary judgment against Naser Al Mutairi and Mohamed Benabdellah and permanently enjoined them from targeting Microsoft customers with malware and from teaching others to write and send malware code. Microsoft sued the two and Vitalwerks Internet Solutions in June 2014 in a sealed complaint. A preliminary injunction in July 2014 enjoined Mutairi et al. from computer fraud, cybersquatting, trespass, conversion and other charges. Reno-based Vitalwerks, a domain name service provider that does business as No-IP, cooperated with Microsoft and settled in July 2014. Vitalwerks said in a statement at the time: “Microsoft has reviewed the evidence provided by Vitalwerks and enters into the settlement confident that Vitalwerks was not knowingly involved with the subdomains used to support Malware. Those spreading the malware abused Vitalwerks’ services.” Vitalwerks added: “Upon notification and review of the evidence, Vitalwerks took immediate corrective action allowing Microsoft to identify victims of this malware.” Neither court document further identifies Mutairi or Benabdellah, nor where they are. Microsoft’s attorney Rachel Smith, with Shook, Hardy & Bacon, was not immediately available for comment.